Review - The Treatment by C L Taylor

The Treatment by C L Taylor

Published October 19th 2017 by HQ

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 70/50

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

“You have to help me. We’re not being reformed. We’re being brainwashed.”

All sixteen year old Drew Finch wants is to be left alone. She's not interested in spending time with her mum and stepdad and when her disruptive fifteen year old brother Mason is expelled from school for the third time and sent to a residential reform academy she's almost relieved.

Everything changes when she's followed home from school by the mysterious Dr Cobey, who claims to have a message from Mason. There is something sinister about the ‘treatment’ he is undergoing. The school is changing people.

Determined to help her brother, Drew must infiltrate the Academy and unearth its deepest, darkest secrets.

Before it’s too late.

My Thoughts

So I've never read anything by C L Taylor, despite having one of her adult thriller novels on my shelf. I saw she was coming out with a YA thriller, which is a genre I really enjoy, and I was lucky enough to be accepted for it on NetGalley, so what better opportunity to dive into this authors work. This is the story of Drew whose twin brother Mason is sent to a residential reform academy after being expelled from another school. One day she is approached by a Dr from the academy claiming to have a strange message from Mason. It seems that the academy isn't what she first thought it was. Drew is determined to rescue her brother and discover the secrets of the academy before he undergoes 'the treatment'. 

This was a really enjoyable read. It was fast paced and gripping and it kept me wanting to turn the pages. I thought the brainwashing idea was really interesting and it gave an interesting spin on the story. The chapters were short which, if you've read my other reviews, you will know is something I really enjoy in thrillers. It really helps to keep the story moving and encourages me to just read one more chapter. There were several twists and turns along the way that I didn't see coming and the direction the plot took was sometimes unexpected. It really kept my interest and as a result I finished this in a couple of days. 

I liked Drew as a character, she did seem quite juvenile at times however, as a YA thriller I would expect this, but this didn't stop me from liking her. She showed determination when it came to rescuing her brother and she didn't let others get in her way. As someone who started off the novel as an introvert and someone who liked to keep to themselves it was nice to see her grow and develop in confidence throughout the book. I also liked the friendship that bloomed between her and Mouse. It was nice to see Drew becoming close to someone again. You had the usual mix of characters in this novel, the 'hero', the 'sidekick', the person being 'rescued' and the 'bully/villain' and they all played their parts well. Each one worked with the plot and had their own individual traits. The one character I would say felt a bit out of place was Lacey. I understand the part she played in Drew's high school life but I didn't understand why she arrived at the academy. I don't think this added anything to the story. 

Overall  I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was an engaging and fast paced read with an interesting plot focus. I would recommend this if you are a fan of thrillers, particularly of the YA variety. I'm really excited to pick up some more of C L Taylor's adult work and I hope she writes more in the YA genre in the future.

Overall Rating